Thinking Outside the Bots: The History of AI

April 19, 2017Tyler

“If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.”-Emerson M. Pugh

Ah, the human brain. It truly is incredible. Roughly the size of a grapefruit, the brain is mostly water (78%), some fat (10%), and little protein (8%) – proving that amazing things really do come in small packages. It is flexible when faced with new challenges, able to adapt to difficult situations, and constantly integrating new information as the brain structures compete and cooperate. This powerhouse of intricacies and complex components has been revered as the only owner of “consciousness” (whatever that is). However, as technology and machine learning advance, our era as the only sentient beings may be coming to an end.

This series will tackle artificial intelligence in all of its glory – where we came from, where I think we are going, and how AI will ultimately transform the future of marketing. Today, let’s take a step back and dig into the history of AI.

For centuries, humans have thought about formal reasoning. Artificial intelligence is embedded in antiquity, with myths and stories – or as author Pamela McCorduck writes, AI began with “an ancient wish to forge the gods.” As early as the 13th century, logical machines were created. The 1940’s saw the worlds first programmable computer, opening the doors for a handful of scientists to begin discussing how to take the idea even further.

During the Dartmouth Conference of 1956, the term Artificial Intelligence was coined by the organizers Minsky, McCarthy, and two senior scientists from IBM with the goal to investigate ways in which machines could be made to simulate aspects of intelligence (the idea that has continued to drive the field forward ever since).

Check out our short timeline below to see in brief how AI’s prominence has ebbed and flowed over the years:

Stay tuned for our “Thinking Outside the Bots” series where we will dive into AI and its influence on marketing, specifically the necessary use of AI in deploying online advertising campaigns, and the ways it can deliver the greatest consumer personalization, while providing the highest monetary value for advertisers.